(Hartford, CT)- The Connecticut State Library has awarded grants totaling $397,500 to 119 municipalities through the Historic Documents Preservation Program. This program provides funding for projects that improve local government records preservation, management and access. Established in 2001, the program has funded over two thousand records projects and has distributed over $14 million in grants to municipalities to date.

With these grants, municipalities are preserving early town records; scanning records to provide for public electronic access; microfilming records to ensure long term records security; purchasing records storage equipment, software and hardware; and improving the organization and management of their public records. By improving their records management programs, municipalities are increasing efficiencies, lowering costs, enhancing public service, and helping to ensure the long term preservation of their essential public records.

Every municipality is eligible to receive a targeted grant each year in one of two grant cycles. A list of municipalities awarded grants under Cycle 1 for FY 2016 is available on the State Library website at ctstatelibrary.org/publicrecords/hdpp.